20 Odd Questions: Director Ed Burns

The dashing auteur on Irish-Catholic guilt, romance and his love of turkey meatballs

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HE'S THE ONE | Ed Burns
Ramsay de Give for The Wall Street Journal

June 18, 2011

Few People can romanticize New York like actor/writer/director Ed Burns, who was born in Queens to an Irish-Catholic clan of NYPD officers. His first screenplay, "The Brothers McMullen," set in Manhattan and Long Island, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1995.

"I was always fascinated by the city," recalls the 43-year-old, who currently lives in Tribeca with his wife, the model Christy Turlington, and their two children. "When I first moved here, I could only afford to walk around. I wrote my first screenplay pulling from conversations I overheard on the street."

Apart from his Kennedy-esque good looks and gravelly timbre, Mr. Burns is known amongst cinephiles for his New York-centric oeuvres ("She's the One," "Sidewalks of New York," "Nice Guy Johnny") and his poignant study of relationships—not to mention his taste in actresses. (He cast some of Hollywood's leading ladies, including Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston and Rosario Dawson, early in their careers.)

Recently, Tiffany & Co. tapped Mr. Burns to create a short film for the launch of its new site and iPad app, What Makes Love True, which guides couples through rings and romance. The film, entitled "Will You Marry Me?", pays homage to falling in love in the Big Apple. Next up? Mr. Burns sets his sights on a grittier subject—New York's finest. Herewith, the filmmaker reveals his heroes and how he romances Ms. Turlington. (Hint: It's not with diamonds.)

I'm an insane Woody Allen nut. My favorites are "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and "Hannah and Her Sisters". I like ensembles more than a single hero. For me, the hardest thing to get right as a filmmaker is marrying high drama with goofy comedy. When Woody nails it, there's no one who can touch him.

That said, I've been called the Irish-Catholic Woody Allen. We're not neurotic but we wrestle with as much guilt. The joke is, I'm not encumbered by all of those Oscars.

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A '69 Oldsmobile Cutlass
General Motors

I keep a mental log of street corners and storefronts where I want to shoot a scene. Years ago we shot on the roof of The New Yorker hotel and we filmed "Sidewalks of New York" in Washington Square Park. When we were kids, my dad would take us into the city and dump us there for the day. That was my introduction to Manhattan.

The film that recently blew me away was Mike Leigh's "Another Year." The guy is always brilliant but this one stayed with me in a different way. It's just very honest—and it's 90 minutes of talking, which I love.

When casting women I look for real girls. They have to feel authentic. I make low-budget films, so you have to find people who love what they do because they're not going to get a big fancy trailer.

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The Clam Bar
Bloomberg News

For my daily uniform I like to keep it very casual and comfortable, with a broken-down pair of jeans and Nikes.

I grew up in Long Island. My favorite spots are the Clam Bar at Napeague on Montauk Highway for steamers and beers. Turtle Crossing in Amagansett has great barbecue.

My favorite restaurants outside of the city are Garga in Florence and Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse in Chicago, [which] does an incredible New York strip.

The last romantic moment I had with my wife was walking home from Al Covo, a restaurant in Venice. There was nobody around, just great conversation and a ton of laughs.

A recent discovery I made is "Sleep No More," a fantastic play being held in an abandoned warehouse in Manhattan.

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Turkey meatballs
Getty Images

The best place to get button-downs is the J. Crew Liquor Store in Tribeca.

My biggest indulgence is a great bottle of wine. [My wife and I] like a California Cabernet called Quintessa.

My most treasured possession is my '69 Oldsmobile Cutlass.

In my refrigerator I always have turkey meatballs. I get them from Whole Foods. That's my afternoon go-to. And I always need a healthy supply of half and half for my coffee.

I'm close with Bob De Niro. When we made "15 Minutes," there was a scene that he didn't love, but after a bit of negotiation he agreed to do it. When I asked why, he said, "I fought my fight, but I signed on to help [the director] make his movie." As a young guy, it was a real learning experience.

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The Amanyara resort
Amanresorts

I always stock up on T-shirts from American Apparel. I do a 50-50 split of crewneck and V-neck. That and I love a fresh pair of socks.

The best gift I've received is a guitar for my 40th birthday. My wife got me lessons years ago. My teacher, PT Walkley, scored my last few films.

My perfect getaway is a warm holiday where I can go to a beach with a book and kill five days doing nothing. Amanyara in Turks and Caicos is incredible. I also have a small fishing boat that I take to the backside of Gardiner's Island on the East End.

My favorite quote is "I ain't ever had a job, I just always played baseball." Satchel Paige said that. That's how I feel about making movies. If you find the thing that you love to do, you'll never work a day in your life.

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